Last reviewed: February 2026
When it comes to investigations, school leaders tell us their top priority is having matters resolved swiftly and professionally.
But when the resources or knowledge to manage investigations internally aren’t available, it often leads to delays or a lack of progress, even when quick action is crucial.
HR investigations are complex, structured pieces of work that require careful handling to get right. In education, where children's safeguarding is a major concern, schools risk serious reputational damage or even legal repercussions if cases are mismanaged.
Whether it’s your first case or you need a refresher, we’ll guide you through practical tips for conducting HR investigations to keep the process calm, fair and transparent for all involved.
HR investigations examine allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct in the workplace, including harassment, discrimination, safeguarding, or any other behaviour that violates company policies, procedures, or legal regulations.
As outlined in the Acas code on disciplinary and grievance, investigations allow schools and trusts to gather evidence from all sides, find out if there is a wider case, and help leaders decide what should happen next - all while ensuring fair treatment for those involved.
When schools or trusts fail to address complaints, it can create an uncomfortable working environment, lead to low morale, and even increase turnover. Outside of workforce risks, it could also bring them into serious disrepute.
Investigating misconduct demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a respectful and safe workplace. It identifies and addresses problematic behaviours and gives employees confidence that the appropriate process will be followed if they experience misconduct.
The first step of any HR investigation should be determining if an investigation is actually needed, and when it’s not.
To keep it simple, ask yourself these three questions:
Even in cases where you may not need to fully investigate, you should still aim to keep a clear note about the allegation raised and the action you took in line with your School or Trust policy.
If you decide that investigating alleged misconduct is the appropriate course of action, you’ll need to move swiftly to plan your next steps.
If, after preliminary checks, you’ve decided that the appropriate action is to investigate, what comes next?
Before you begin, it’s helpful to write down the proposed scope of your investigation – it’ll keep the process on track and help you plan deadlines.
Key points to note:
You’ll also need to decide who to appoint as your Investigating Officer.
This can be an internal colleague with no prior relationship to the people involved, or an external consultant. Crucially, it must be someone who will remain impartial throughout the process.
Your Investigating Officer will need tools and resources to conduct their work, so review the following before your investigation begins:
Throughout the investigation, your employee has the right to robust communication, so keep them up to date on expected timeframes in advance.
Conducting interviews with witnesses and the parties involved requires careful communication, confidentiality and consistency throughout.
Schools are busy, and people’s memories can be patchy, so providing reasonable notice and a clear agenda of what will be covered allows for better-quality notetaking and a calmer interview process.
During your interview stage, investigating officers should aim to ask open-ended questions, listen carefully, and seek to confirm the accuracy of the interviewees statements.
Use these helpful pointers to guide your Investigating Officer during the meeting:
Investigating officers must ensure they ask the right questions and gather all relevant information while maintaining confidentiality, so that all parties are treated with respect and fairness.
After conducting interviews, investigating officers must carefully review all evidence and determine the credibility of each witness; there must be no bias or prejudice in their analysis.
Evidence has been gathered, and interviews have been conducted. Now it’s time to document your investigation in a clear report.
Your investigating report doesn’t need to be long, but it should clearly outline:
Now that the Employment Rights Act is set to extend the tribunal window from 3 to 6 months, having a clearly documented investigation report will demonstrate that your investigation was conducted fairly and impartially. If legal action is taken, you’ll have clear evidence recorded.
After completing an HR investigation, the appropriate course of action must be determined. The Investigating Officer should submit their report to the Commissioning Officer, who will determine the next steps. This could be:
Last year alone, we conducted 50+ investigations on behalf of schools and trusts. Here are some of the most common mistakes that we see:
Looking for an impartial and experienced pair of hands to assist with an investigation? You’re in safe hands. Our team of consultants work exclusively on education cases, making them well-equipped to support your case.
To learn more about our consultants and the specifics of our Investigations and Notetaking services, browse our HR Consultancy Brochure, or get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation to find the right service for you.
Successful investigations promote a positive workplace culture and protect the reputations of schools and trusts. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to protecting your organisation and ensuring that best practice is followed.